Patriots 7-round mock draft: Reading way too deeply into NFL combine buzz

The Patriots draft a receiver late — and trade for one. Their top pick is a big surprise.

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick attended this year’s NFL combine, even with a number of teams — including Los Angeles Rams — electing not to send their top brass. It seems teams are deemphasizing the event dubbed the underwear Olympics.

If nothing else, the event serves as a chance for the media to catch up with NFL evaluators. Reporters can chat with teams’ decision-makers to learn where the top players stand. And with so many measurements coming out, draft analysts can confirm what they’ve seen on tape — or flag a player whose measurements don’t add up with their performance.

Regardless, now is the time to overreact to all this information. Now is the time to have some fun and put together a mock draft that overvalues the combine. Let’s dive into some of the combine’s stars that could land with New England.